Adult group dancers perform "Zinta Dantza", a sort of Maypole dance unique to the Basque tradition.

Credit Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy

This weekend, the 49th annual Basque Festival took over Wingfield Park in Reno.

Members of the Reno Basque Club organized the event, in which dozens of people donned their traditional Basque apparel and took part in cultural performances and competitions.

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Emcee Alison Hull has been dancing since she was three.

“Many of the dances involve many of the things that happen in daily life, from working in the field to when the fishermen are out and the fisherwomen are dancing, waiting for their return," she says. "So it’s really that and celebrating a culture and celebrating the life of this community.”

A group of younger dancers performs a traditional Basque dance.

Credit Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy

Some people also participated in other activities which to some folks might not look like art. But as Hull says, it’s very much a part of Basque culture.

“Not only with dancing, they consider the wood chopping as well as the weightlifting as an art," she says. "Because it takes training and true passion.”

More than 70 inventors displayed their unique products over the weekend at Reno’s Mini Maker Faire.

Solar-roasted coffee and a mechanical squid are just two of the products that were displayed in Idlewild Park. It’s the first year that the Mini Maker Faire has joined forces with Artown.

“It’s part science fair, part county fair, part something entirely new,” said the fair’s executive producer, Chrissy Klenke. “It’s a unique event that celebrates the DIY culture. If you think about it, everyone is a maker in one way shape or form.”

One Artown event last year brought community members together to fold paper cranes out of recycled military uniforms. Now, the 1,000 cranes make up the “Combat Paper: Prayers And Wings” exhibit at Northwest Reno Library. Our reporter Anh Gray visited the library last year during one of these workshops. Let’s listen back to that story.

Musicians, street artists and community members kicked off Artown with the Opening Night Jubilee in downtown Reno’s Wingfield Park.

Among the bunches of musicians and artists, you might have seen Jennifer Charboneau crouched over an easel, painting a bright yellow flower in a purple vase. While she enjoys doing street art, she would like to see the Reno art scene evolve.

“I think a lot of us are thinking bigger scale and a lot more public art, which is great. Everybody loves to work bigger,” she said.